There is a coding clinic for this. Chronic bronchitis is a form of COPD.
AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS - 2017 Issue 4; Ask the Editor
Acute Exacerbation of Unspecified Asthma with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
question
Coding Clinic, First Quarter 2017, page 25, advised that for a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with asthma, only code
J44.9, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified, was sufficient and that code
J45.909, Unspecified asthma, uncomplicated should not be assigned as “unspecified” isn’t a type of asthma. Does the same hold true if the asthma is documented as an acute exacerbation?
answer
Assign codes
J44.9, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified, and code
J45.901, Unspecified asthma with (acute) exacerbation, for documented COPD with acute exacerbation of asthma. Although code
J45.901 does not represent a type of asthma, it does provide additional specificity regarding the asthma being an acute exacerbation.
or
Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with Acute Bronchitis
question
The patient has an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and acute bronchitis. What are the diagnosis code assignments?
answer
Assign codes
J44.0, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection,
J44.1, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) exacerbation, and
J20.9, Acute bronchitis, unspecified, to fully capture the provider’s diagnostic statement.